Training Day
by SilverCrystal029
Summary: Just an early series one shot set a little after Turn Of The Rogue. It's her first Danger Room session with the team, and they all get a little perspective on the kind of training Mystique gave Rogue. one shot


Logan found himself pleased that the institute's newest member found her way to the Danger Room easily. It'd been a few days since Rogue and Scott had teamed up together to take on Mystique on a field trip. After that, she'd come to Charles Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. He'd been truthfully anticipating a bumpy ride, but the girl turned out to be far more quiet than he'd expected. She was like a little shadow who didn't take up space.

He noticed the natural rift between her (in an X-Suit Ororo made for her) and the rest of the five X-Men. He hoped it was something time patched up. Jean, Kitty, Evan, and Kurt were all chattering together, but Scott and Rogue were silent._ 'I don't even know the kid's real name...'_ Logan thought, scratching his head. With her mutation, she might not even remember herself.

"Alright," His gruff voice cut into theirs. "Today, we're doin' something y'all_ all_ need. Practicing hand to hand." He smirked when they all began groaning. Jean and Kitty are full on pouting, cute, but that stopped working on Logan ages ago. Kurt and Evan were wailing, while Scott rolled his neck cockily. He was a jock, so he never had a hard time with Danger Room assignments.

Rogue didn't seem affected at all. There was no crack in her facade, no outward sign that she'd heard the man at all. She was somewhere else, her mind weighted with heavy thoughts. When grey eyes met with his, it confirmed that she had been listening. Almost unnerved by her stare, he cleared his throat. "The simulation will start off with agents trying to apprehend you. You all,_ separately_, need to take out as many as you can. Now," He sent Evan and Kurt a glare for snickering. "It will increase in difficulty the longer the simulation runs." He continued explaining.

Kitty heaved a loud sigh, considering she was probably lacking the most in that department.

"Sounds like a piece of cake, to me." Scott said, pulling off a one handed push up. Rogue eyed him with a raised eyebrow, her face cracking into the faintest smile.

"Says the football player." Evan grumbled. "I _skateboard._"

"Are we _done_ gripin'?" The teenagers became quiet. "Thank you. Start Hand To Hand: 201." He declared, backing off towards the observation part of the Danger Room. They all began to spread out, the blank room suddenly transforming into a dark alleyway. Rogue watched everyone fan out, pressing her slender back towards the wall of a building. This was business as usual for her, usual against the other Brotherhood members or some of her cronies.

She'd been trained and drilled by Mystique for most of her life. Deprogramming that stuff would be harder than learning anything new, but she already knew that. The first operative dove out of the shadows, wearing all black. Rogue gasped and then kicked quickly, bringing him down to the concrete. She heard Kurt and Kitty exclaim (obviously working together despite Logan's instructions because, duh) somewhere around her.

She heard the distinct sound of Scott's optic blasts and what sounded like crates falling. Rogue had thought the exercise was about 'hand-to-hand' training but she didn't hear Logan complaining. A little unfair to her considering her leech powers, but it doesn't matter. Mystique had been training her for years for this exact reason, ironically. Give her the best chance to get a power or at least defend herself.

Dead eyed, the holographic bodies piled up around her as she methodically took them out. One kick and a punch at a time.

The whole team was beginning to feel the pressure after about ten minutes. It wasn't for lack of trying, but Kitty had already been captured and was out of the simulation. Kurt and Evan were about to be cornered, Scott and Jean were still going. Nobody had even seen Rogue recently, wherever she was. Jean found herself running out of nearby projectiles to hurdle at the growing horde of soldiers.

She tried, but hand to hand wasn't the dainty girl's strong point, either. She was a cerebral fighter._ 'That just leaves me,'_ Scott thought, looking around for any trace of their newest teammate. He was getting fatigued, but he still had a lot left in him. He'd been training longer than any other member on the team. He'd been putting up with Logan's harsh regimens and training, it'd made him a formidable adversary.

But even Scott Summers had a limit, and it came after dispatching fifty eight operative in the simulation. Logan tossed a white towel towards him as he approached his team. He was getting ready to accept praise when he realized they weren't all there. He looked around, Logan's eyes still glued to the monitor. "Is she_ still-_"

"Yep." Jean answered, wincing absentmindedly for his ego. Scott exhaled sharply but held his face even, it was important to be encouraging. She'd just dropped everything and left the Brotherhood.

"She just hit fifty eight," He turned back to the leader. "And counting." He smirked with a pride that'd make you think Rogue was _his_ scrappy daughter. If you just watched her fight you would've thought so, too. She had no offensive powers, nothing to make fighting these simulated men any easier. Yet, she was taking them all out. The team watched with varying reactions.

Amusement, curiosity, to a bit of fear. Rogue reminded them of a certain shapeshifter, it was sort of inevitable. They felt fear whenever they faced her. Finally, with a final count of 64 taken out before being overwhelmed, Rogue was finally taken down. "End simulation." Logan called, walking into the massive room. "Well." He placed his hands on his hips.

Rogue was sitting on the ground, panting as the others looked on. Logan held out a black gloved hand and Rogue hesitantly accepted. "Sorry," She breathed, her stare cast at the ground. Logan only cocked an eyebrow.

_"Sorry?_ That was like, armegedd-" Jean elbowed the younger girl to silence her before her trademark mouth got her in trouble.

"Sorry?" Logan repeated, as if Kitty hadn't spoken. Rogue huffed, her face turning slightly red.

"Ah didn' finish the course." She admitted, her face as hard as glass. None of them had, but Mystique had taught her to worry about her own successes and failures. She hopes they all aren't punished, or something. A strange expression crosses the wild man's eyes, but it melts aways soon. Whatever he just realized has to be approached carefully and tactfully.

"There was no end to the drill." Jean chimed in softly.

"It vould just keep going and going, like pacman!" The overly friendly blue mutant added, his tail swishing behind him.

"It was just about how long you could last, how many ya took out." Logan explained, crossing his arms. "_You_ had the best score. That was like a world record, and I _don't_ hand out praise easy." Rogue suddenly found herself embarrassed. What was praise? Mystique had been impersonating people all her life, all pushing her to be this hard person. She'd never congratulated her once. Logan sees that in her stare, her complete loss at what to do.

"Yeah, he _really_ doesn't..." Scott mumbled, unable to not sulk a little about losing the best score to her. "That was a crazy impressive first Danger Room run, Rogue." Her blush only deepened.

"Won't always be someone who can fly or run through walls nearby..." Was all Rogue mumbled, avoiding Scott's stare at all costs. She tucked a silvery strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, girl. You should give Kitty some tutoring, or something." Evan laughed, pointing to his shorter teammate.

"Hey! I do not, like, need extra Danger Room sessions._ Right,_ Mr. Logan?" He scratched the back of his neck in discomfort when the girl addressed him. He shared a look with Rogue and they both laughed. "I got..._ Two_ more guys this time..." She counted, now her face becoming red.

"We all got room for improvement." The clawed mutant saved quickly, but he turned back to Rogue. "_You_, you will be my protege. With that solid self defense foundation, nobody will be apprehending you." He rubbed his hands together as if he'd just formulated a brilliant plan.

"Ah'm gonna have extra sessions, aren't Ah..." Rogue shook her head. Scott chuckled.

"That means he likes you."


End file.
